ANANTNAG, Nov18: Some unidentified persons have not only cut down the branches of Chinar trees but have also chopped off walnut trees inside the famous Mughal garden named after the Mughal ruler ‘Dara Shikoh’ in south Kashmir’s Bijbehara town. Police has registered FIR into the incident and started investigations.

Reports said that some unknown persons in violation of the ban on the cutting of walnut and Chinar trees on Saturday evening chopped off two to three walnut trees and the huge branches of a Chinar tree in the Mughal garden.

“A revenue official after coming to know about the cutting of the trees inside the garden informed his higher ups. After being informed, Tehsildar Bijbehara rushed to the spot and seized some instruments used for cutting of the trees,” official sources said.

They said that Tehsildar also seized I-cards from two persons who were coming from the spot where the trees have been cut. Tehsildar Bijbehara, N A Shah said that they have got the FIR registered into the matter in police station Bijbehara.

“Soon after being informed by my officials I rushed to the spot and found that tree walnut trees and branches of a Chinar tree had been cut down. Despite seizing the instruments used for cutting of trees we also seized identity cards of two persons who were coming from there.

Though some of the wood had been picked from the spot while the rest that was lying there has been seized,” Tehsildar said. He said that the garden is being maintained by the Jammu and Kashmir Bank and their role is also being investigated. “During the preliminary investigation the name of the power development department (PDD) has also figured but has not been established yet. We are investigating as to who is actually involved in the offence,” Tehsildar said.

SHO, Bijbehara, Shahi Jahan, when contacted said that they have registered FIR number 266/ 13 US 447A, 336 A RPC and 13 special trees Act. “FIR has been lodged and investigations taken. Within a day or two we will be able to establish who is involved in the illegal cutting of trees,” SHO said.

Pertinently the garden has been developed by the famous Mughal ruler, Dara Shikoh centuries back and has the distinction of being the garden with large number of Chinar trees. The oldest and the biggest Chinar of the valley is found in the garden. It is because of the garden that Bijbehara town is also named as the ‘town of Chinars’.

SRINAGAR, Nov 18: At a time when people are facing hardships due to LPG crisis, new power curtailment schedule announced by Power Development Department (PDD) has further added to the woes of common masses. Business Community has warned that they will come on roads if uninterrupted power supply was not be ensured to metered areas.
According to CNS, a local news gathering agency, the PDD has come up with new curtailment schedule in which power cuts in metered as well as non-metered areas has be